Method of eliminating the active toxic agent from coffee.



" UNI-TED smrns PATENT onmon HEINZ EVERS, OF ZURIGH, SWITZERLAND, ASSIGNOB T0 GEKS'fiZ B & GIE, 0F CLARENS- MONTBEUX, SWITZERLAND. a 1

METHOD OF ELIHI'NATING. THE ACTIVE TQXIG AGENT FROM COFFEE.

No Drawing.

' Specification of Iietters Patent.

Patented Dec, 20, 1910.

Application filed September 7, 1909. Serial No. 51t,561.

of treating cofi'ee beans in such a manner.

that an infusion made 'rmm the treated coffee beans will produce no toxic action on the human system.

It is the primary object of my invention to provide a method of physically or me chanically treating the beans, as contradistinguished from a chemical treatment thereof, whereby the treated coffee beans retain all their aroma and when made into an infusion produce no toxic action on the system of the consumer.

In practicin my invention I preferably subject the co ee beans firstly to the combined action of heat'and vacuum, secondly to the action of superheated steam and thirdly again to heat and vacuum. By the first step of the process, a. e. the combined action of heat and vacuum the cellular walls of the coffee bean s'are caused to burst or open enabling the heat to penetrate into the innermost recesses of the beans and act on the substances therein which produce the toxic effect on the human system when the coffee infusion is drunk by the. consumer, these substances being thus volatilized and converted into proper condition for extraction. or removal from the bean. The object of the second step in the process,- viz. the introduction of superheated steam, is to cause the intense heat which resides in the steam to quickly and incisively penetrate the previously opened beans, the steam thus becoming-saturated with the freed toxic substances and being in an ideal condition to carry oil the same. By the third step of the process, the second evacuation, the steam" charged with the toxic substances quickly escapes carrying with it the hot deleterious substances and. leavlng behind the coffee beans freed from active toxic agents but re-- taining all their original aroma.

It'is preferable to carry out the steps of .the process in the order above named 'although it is within the scope of my invention to subject the beans first to the action of steam and thereafter to the action of a vacuum. It will also be understood that, if desired, the several steps of the process may be repeated should the particular kind of coffee beans being treated require such treatment. p

I obtain the best results by employing a double walled receiver into which the coffee beans are introduced and maintaining the same at a temperature of approximately.

I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. The herein described method of eliminating those substances from cofi'ee beans which form the active toxic agents when the beans are made into an infusion, which vmethod consists 1n SllbJGCtlIlg sald" coifee beans to the combined action of heat and vacuum whereby the cellular walls of the beans are caused tovburst and the toxic sub-.

stances therein are liberated by .the heat, thereafter subjecting said beans to the action of superheated steam whereby the steam absorbs the liberated toxic substances, and finally again subjecting the beans to the action of heat and vacuum whereby the steam is caused to carry off in a hot condition the toxic substances with which it is charged. v

2. The herein described method of eliminating those substances from coffee beans which form the active toxic agents when the beans are made into an infusion, which methodconsists in introducing said cofi'ec beans into a closed vessel continuously heated to approximately 160C, and producing a vacuum in sa1d vessel corresponding to approximately 720 mercury column -in said vessel whereby the steam 10 column whereby the cellula1z walls of said charged with the toxic substances will coflee beans are opened and the toxic subquickly pass from the vessel. stances are liberated therefrom, introducing In testimony whereof I aflix my signature steam at a pressure of approximately 6 at in presence of two witnesses. mospheres into said Vessel whereby the HEINZ EVERS.

steam will become saturated with the toxic Witnesses: substances and finally again produclng a ADoLF Bi'rRDEKE, vacuum of approximately 720 mm. mercury ALBERT SUESS. 

